Sit-Rep: Warframe (Lunaro Update) – Warframe Athletics Done Right

Pros:
+Short ball possession duration offers up team work via passing+Inability to use abilities enforces players to work together to keep the team from scoring+The arena is fairly well sized allowing for a fun 8 to 10 minute match

Cons:
–Minor ball delay when passing or shooting goals–Decent players can easily stop an entire team

Warframe has been changing for many years. It has evolved past a game that was simply about going in and out of Dojo’s and missions in order to operate functionally. It has surpassed the boundaries that gave it a minimal story only to create a phenomenal story that has captivated fans from around the world. It has broken hearts, caused tears, and even created a few moments of laughter within its own story. It has even caused players to hate certain villains, and rightfully so. The evolution of story telling has also caused us to understand order and balance within the universe.

Among these designs, we’ve gotten to know our Tenno, ourselves through a fictional universe, but we have also gotten to fight against our fellow Tenno for training purposes via Conclave. Since its launch two weeks ago for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 while PC has had it for a few weeks more than the console, but that’s alright! The console version lives up to expectations just as it did on PC.

The idea behind Lunaro is rather close to several sports you may already know: Rugby, soccer, football, basketball, and a little bit of martial arts – because nothing says “HELLO!” like a swift kick to the jaw then stealing the ball. The objective to the game? Get the ball into the enemies goal point and win. The team with the most points between Sun and Moon will win the game. Much as expected, the game has two halves, and they take place over roughly ten minutes, which is nicely paced due to how fast paced the action can get.

Controls are simple, all normal movement schemes remain in place for all intents and purposes of the game. The only difference? Depending on your controller (since PlayStation 4 is our primary console for reviews, we’ll be going with their button scheme if using legacy where the touchpad is enabled) L2 is to help focus on the ball so you can intercept/block/catch while L1 remains to duck/slide/slide-jump. However, doing a slide-jump with the ball in-hand does make the carrier drop it in order to provide fairness for the sake of the game. In turn normal jumping and sliding remain fully usable by the ball carrier who can pass and or otherwise launch the ball towards the enemy teams goal.

To throw or pass players can combine L2 and R2 to launch the ball even further whether they are sliding or running up-right. Doing so will allow for more range, a stronger pass, and a chance to get the ball where it’s needed to go. All-the-while making opposing players work even harder to obtain the ball. Except for when you score where they get instant grabs on the ball (much like basketball) and force you to move to the halfway point before being able to go on the offensive.

While the basis of the game is short, it runs smoothly, and carries on a solid concept of what it is like to have sports in an ever-growing universe. The downsides are is the minor lag that tends to happen, which makes the ball slightly hard to track, and give those players that have mastered Lunaro a winning chance to one-man an entire match. Want to be the Kevin Durant or Michael Jordan of Lunaro? Your chance is here if you decide to take it. Lunaro is rewarding in the essence that it does provide a chance at Conclave mods and even Conclave reputation for those needing it.

All-in-all? Lunaro is a highly enjoyable game that may attract those who found a love for games like Rocket League if they decide to give it a chance. If you aren’t hooked on this Conclave mode? You surely will be if you decide to dive into it for a few hours.

Our review is based on the free-to-play game with all current updates installed. For information about our ethics policy please clickhere.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

About the Writer:

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.